The excavation of a Neolithic, Bronze Age and Early Historic features near Ratho, Edinburgh

Excavations near Ratho in early summer 1993 yielded evidence for Neolithic, Bronze Age and Early Historic activity on the site. Neolithic features consisted of a small number of pits containing fragments of carinated bowls; the Bronze Age funerary remains were more extensive, including a ring-ditch which enclosed two cremations in cordoned urns, and one unurned cremation. There were also additional dispersed cists and pits containing burnt bone, and a number of truncated features of uncertain date. The remains attributed to the Early Historic period consisted of a twophase palisade alignment enclosing a small sunken-featured building which contained a large number of clay loomweights, with the possible addition of two rectilinear post-in-trench buildings.